Blogging for Climate Change

*This blog is part of the Blog Action Day 2009 shindig.
**This title can also be read as: A Nonpolitically Correct Reason to Become More Environmentally Conscious.

One day I was in an apartment that was very hot. We're talking middle of the summer, in Provo, third floor apartment, no a/c, 12 people in the room. It was hot. So hot, in fact, that we began to talk about how heat makes people do crazy things. We agreed that the apartment complex's management should fix this apartments air conditioning, as the heat was starting to make the inhabitants stressed, frustrated, volatile, and in essence, they wanted to either punch each other or throw each other out of the window. Nobody likes to be hot. You get sticky, sweaty, and irritable. I, for one, am grateful for air conditioning for just those reasons.

This apartment stands as a microcosm of the world. I have noticed that there is more crime in areas of the world where it is hotter. For example: the Middle East, the Southern US, Cuba, etc. In all seriousness, have you ever heard of a high crime rate in Canada? Or Iceland? How about Alaska? Antarctica? No.

Basically, my thinking is that we should be responsible citizens of this earth, because as the temperature goes up, so does the crime rate, and no one wants their stuff stolen or their friends capped.

Now, as for the slightly more serious part of this blog... I love this earth. I love exploring its natural beauty, even if I don't go too far. Try taking a hike up Rock Canyon this weekend, and see the beauty of those changing leaves on those lovely and imposing trees. Hike it in spring to experience the clear, cold beauty of the stream. That is my favorite part of Provo. It is beautiful, peaceful, and you can see God's hand in the world. I'm not going to stress to you to unplug your laptops when you're not using them, or to put the freezer on low, or even to change your light bulbs. Just consider the beauty of the earth that God has given you to enjoy, and try to be more respectful of it and its inhabitants.